Sunshine and Sunset Laws - 948 Words

Sunshine and Sunset Laws US Government Sunshine and Sunset Laws Sunshine laws created by different states are based on the Sunshine Act passed by Congress in 1976. In the United States, for the first time, the Sunshine Act requires that â€Å"multi-headed federal agencies† or those agencies that are headed by a committee instead of an individual such as the Securities and Exchange Commission hold their meetings regularly in public (Bardes et al., 2011, p. 423). As the term implies, the government wants more transparency, as well as, give interested parties the opportunities to observe or participate if possible. Moreover, these agencies are also required to provide public notice of these meetings in advance to allow people to take note†¦show more content†¦The underlying rationale here is that a well-run agency or still-useful regulation will have no trouble getting renewed. States started adopting sunset laws between the late 1970 and early 1980 (Hall, et al., 2002). It is important to note that although Congress passed the Sun set Act of 1977 in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, it was never signed into law (Hall, et al., 2002). Sunset laws bring transparency and accountability because there are multiple reasons why laws become obsolete and therefore no longer useful for citizens. Among these reasons are (i) laws are created as response to specific problems or crises; (ii) specific problems with laws may not manifest themselves for decades; and (iii) certain laws become obsolete in the face of international competition and rapid technological advancements. (Hall, et al., 2002). Because some laws have funding components, or are administered by the same entities for years, sunset laws enhance transparency and accountability. In conclusion, both sunset and sunshine laws are created so that the publics various rights in a democratic society are promoted. The sunshine laws promote greater public participation in government matters while sunset laws ensure that government funds are not squandered in commi ttees or agencies that do notShow MoreRelatedEffects Of Sunset Laws On Public Administration Essay1489 Words   |  6 Pagesaccountable to the public and to elected officials: (a) freedom of information laws, (b) sunshine laws, and (c) sunset laws. In a democratic society, it is imperative that all elected officials and public administrators be held accountable for their actions. For this reason, acts such as the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), sunshine laws, and sunset laws have been implemented into our government system. Sunshine laws are acts which require certain legislative meetings and proceedings to be heldRead MoreExposure Essay960 Words   |  4 Pagesnever forget that when we halve one setting we must double another setting to achieve the same correct exposure. The relationship between shutter and aperture is known as the law of reciprocity, which allows us to retain a correct exposure regardless of whether we expose artistically or in a documentary fashion. The reciprocity law is the inverse relationship between the quantity of light (Controlled via aperture) and time (Controlled via shutter speed) that the sensor is exposed in order to achieveRead MorePersonal Statement : Right Bank Babies1525 Words   |  7 Pageswatermelon, ice cream cones, and barefoot nights on the beach. Summertime also means juicy watermelon stains on clothes, chocolate splotches on the overalls, and stinky feet dipped in mud pies. When it comes to summertime there is no denying the beautiful sunshine and relaxing nights in the yard, but it also means more messy children. Fortunately, with so many wonderful companies such as Right Bank Babies and Crocs, mothers and fathers have less worrying to do about having children that look muddled and disheveledRead MoreMovie Analysis : Noirs 2620 Words   |  11 Pagesa murder that takes place as an attempt for the main character to defy the law and social conventions. There are also many things in a film noir’s narrative structure that make is distinctive from other genre. For example, a femme fatale is normally present in the films. Furthermore, there are usually frequent flashbacks and voice over narrations, which are in the male protagonists point of view, such as in the film Sunset Boulevard. Telephones are usually present either ringing or being used. AdditionallyRead MoreAnalysis Of Walt Whitman s Song Of Myself Essay2414 Words   |  10 Pagesinto the cosmic self he now returns into himself (322). In the first two lines of section forty in the poem, one can interpret the cosmic scene of light and the how the cosmic self has a roll in what surfaces and what does not. Flaunt of the sunshine I need not your bask- lie over! You light surfaces only, I force surface and depths also. While there is nothing insidious about the idea of a universal consciousness, the problem lies in the manner of Hegel’s writing. While Whitman mightRead MoreEssay Answer Sheet Managerial Economics3046 Words   |  13 PagesDefinition of Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns A law of economics stating that, as the number of new employees increases, the marginal product of an additional employee will at some point be less than the marginal product of the previous employee. The law of diminishing marginal returns means that the productivity of a variable input declines as more is used in short-run production, holding one or more inputs fixed. This law has a direct bearing on market supply, the supply price, and the law of supplyRead More Symbolism in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay2380 Words   |  10 Pagescraft of the symbol, of allegory, of the few themes and oft repeated character-types which were to haunt forever the minds of those who know New England† (42). Let us begin with the opening lines of the story: â€Å"YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN came forth at sunset, into the street of Salem village. . .† What is Goodman Brown symbolic of? 1.   According to Levy, he â€Å"is Everyman.   The bargain he has struck with Satan is the universal one . . . . Initially, he is a naive and immature young man who fails to understandRead More Symbolism in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay examples2488 Words   |  10 Pagescraft of the symbol, of allegory, of the few themes and oft repeated character-types which were to haunt forever the minds of those who know New England† (42). Let us begin with the opening lines of the story: â€Å"YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN came forth at sunset, into the street of Salem village. . .† What is Goodman Brown symbolic of? 1.   According to Levy, he â€Å"is Everyman.   The bargain he has struck with Satan is the universal one . . . . Initially, he is a naive and immature young man who fails to understandRead More The Symbolism of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay2725 Words   |  11 Pagesof the symbol, of allegory, of the few themes and oft repeated character-types which were to haunt forever the minds of those who know New England† (42).    Let us begin with the opening lines of the story: â€Å"Young Goodman Brown came forth at sunset, into the street of Salem village. . .† What is Goodman Brown symbolic of? 1.   According to Levy, he â€Å"is Everyman.   The bargain he has struck with Satan is the universal one . . . . Initially, he is a naive and immature young man who fails to understandRead More America Essay5829 Words   |  24 Pagesa matter of time that America dies from thirst. (8) Drew’s words have been echoing in my head all weekend. The Desert has drawn Americas curiosity for hundreds of years. The desert has left us in a daze. The Cowboy rides off into the sunset. The sun glares in his eyes. The cowboy and the desert are inseparable. We think the cowboy has tamed the West, but in due time the demonic wasteland will devour him. The desert is empty nothingness. There is nothing America can use. There is

Drunk Driving Should Be Imprisoned On The First Offense

Many loved ones are lost each year due to drivers under the influence of alcohol. The biggest cause of the deaths in the United States is Drunk Driving. Drunk Driving is such a big issue that it has an effect on all age groups. The majority of the cases reported are from the age groups 20-26. This was the most common group involved with drinking and driving. Studies show that the DUI rate dropped from 2010 to 2013, now it s back up again at the same rate from before. The government has taken many precautions due to all the DUI’s yearly, by making ignition installments legal to DUI users. This system has helped the United States save many lives by not letting the driver start their car without having a BAC level of .00. Even though some†¦show more content†¦If you think of the amount of people that is, it s horrifying. I have seen DUI arrests and deaths in my hometown, it s crazy to think that people would go out and liquor themselves up and end up driving into head on traffic or crashes into a random field without any knowledge of it. There are many reasons why I think they should imprison Drunk Drivers on their first offense, but there is also another side that will argue against me. Many will agree that it is logical to imprison drunk drivers, but it also depends on how much they have been drinking and how intoxicated they really are. Alcohol is a substance that can change your ways of thinking and the way you function. You can only imagine the way someone would drive while intoxicated and behind the wheel. Many deaths are recorded each year due to the â€Å"devil in the bottle†, These numbers have been raised and lowered throughout the years according to my research. I took a pol l at school and recorded the information on what the student body had to think about my topic. About 70% of the students I asked said that drunk drivers should be imprisoned on their first offense because â€Å"they can cause total harm and can ruin people s lives.† said Nestor Brenes, a former student here at Chowchilla Union High School. The other 30% said that they should NOT be imprisoned because they said â€Å" it depends onShow MoreRelatedDrunk Drivers Essay1097 Words   |  5 PagesDriving a vehicle is a huge responsibility, and can be dangerous for anyone who is careless on the road. That danger increases as drivers attempt to drive either intoxicated or drunk. Blood alcohol concentration, also known as BAC, is the amount of alcohol in the blood of one’s system, and is used as a measure of degree of intoxication in an individual (answers.com). In the United States it is illegal per se, to drive with a BAC of .08 for all drivers who are 21 and older (nhtsa.go v). As the bloodRead MoreHow Does the Bottle Taste in Prison? Essay769 Words   |  4 Pagestwenty-seven people die as a result of drunk driving which equates to approximately 10,000 people a year. Driving under the influence is a crime when a person’s blood level of alcohol exceeds the legal limit of 0.08%. Standard penalties against first time offenders include: having their driver’s licenses revoked and paying a fine ranging from $500-$2,000. All drunk drivers should be imprisoned for eight or more months because they are likely to repeat the offense, they cause most automobile fatalities/injuriesRead MoreEssay about Drunk Drivers Should Be Imprisoned on the First Offense758 Words   |  4 PagesDrunk Drivers Should Be Imprisoned On The First Offense Drunk Drivers accounted for 32% of all traffic fatalities last year, which amounts to someone being killed every 45 minutes by a drunk driver. The penalties for most states is just temporary suspension of driver’s licenses for up to 1 year, and to only pay associated fines accessed by the court. Usually, drunken driving offenders are back on the road driving within a year, and with the assistance of a good attorney with weeks. AlthoughRead MoreSobriety Court Is More Appealing Than Jail Essay1542 Words   |  7 PagesSobriety Court is available for those who have felonies or convictions of drunk driving offenses to receive a driver s license with certain restrictions. This is one of the choices a judge in the state of Michigan may sentence someone with a DUI offense. An example of this would be if a mother of two was convicted of drinking and driving, she could either spend five years in jail or take two years of sobriety court, where the mother could live at home with her family, go to work, and drive (withRead MoreEssay about Crime876 Words   |  4 Pagespunishable by law, usually considered an evil act. Crime refers to many types of misconduct forbidden by law. Crimes include such things as murder, stealing a car, resisting arrest, possession or dealing of illegal drugs, being nude in public , drunk driving, and bank robbery. Crime is an act that has been timeless and has been committed practically since the start of time. For example, ever since Cain killed his brother Abel (B.C.), people being charged with witchcraft in the 1600’s, prostitutionRead MoreLegal Consequences That Can Be Faced By Bolton Co1988 Words   |  8 Pagesencounter and provide aprotective measure. If the Health and Safety Law is not followed and there is a breach which is the case in the given scenario then it comes under the criminal offense that punishable by either fine or the director of the organization could be imprisoned (MacIntyre 2014). In the given scenario where the offense is a casualty, the fine against Bolton Co can be anything ranging from 100,000 pounds to 1 million pounds. An organization that is found guilty of breaching the health andRead MoreWhen I Read That The United States Has A â€Å"Drug Problem†,1060 Words   |  5 Pagesthe United States has a â€Å"drug problem†, I immediately thought of the obvious culprits like heroin or cocaine. What most people fail to realize, however, is that substances like alcohol and nicotine are considered to be drugs as well. Throughout my first year of college I have gotten to know more about drug abuse than I ever knew before. I realized that the way in which most young people cope with disorders like depression or anxiety is through substance abuse. While some people look at this as a helpfulRead MoreRunning Head : Legalize Marijuana1528 Words   |  7 PagesRunning Head: Legalize Marijuana Pro-Legalization of Marijuana in California Mirna Abujudeh CSUSB Mary Dolan PSYCH 105 T/R Intaking Marijuana for Medical Purposes Should be Legal for the Sick and Ill in California Marijuana has been achieving euphoria for humans since ancient times; the use spread from China to India and then to North Africa and Europe as early as A.D. 500. Cannabis is said to contain over 400 different chemicals, the main ingredient that impinge the mind is THC. TheRead MoreDrug Addiction And Its Effects On The Brain4200 Words   |  17 Pagescombined with the rise of crack cocaine in the early 1980s, minor drug offenders were filling the United States prison system at a rapid rate. From 1980 to 1990, the U.S. prison population doubled while, at the same time, the proportion of those imprisoned for nonviolent drug crimes grew from 7.5 percent to 24 percent; over a 300% increase (D Amico, 2013). In order to be proactive in rehabilitating an offender with a substance addiction, many aspects of their problem needs to be addressed. AccordingRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?2147 Words   |  9 PagesAll Drugs Should be Legalized in the US Over the past twenty years we have made a tremendous amount of changes in terms of what should be considered legal and illegal substances. For example, we can focus in on one specific drug that has become popular in controversial debates recently, marijuana. Until this point, marijuana was considered illegal. Recently, a handful of states have made the decision to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. To date there has been

Feminist Analysis A Doll s House - 1001 Words

Feminism in literature began to develop in the early 1960’s. For a while Western culture assumed that women were inferior creatures. With a widespread acknowledgment of the female being inferior, women began to accept their lesser status. Female critics â€Å"look at the depiction of women in male texts in an effort to reveal the misogyny (negative attitudes towards women) lurking there† (Dobie 106). This means critics look at mistreated women in texts. Such as blanks, unfinished sentences, and even silences. Henrick Ibsen’s, A Doll’s House, captures the unfavorable gender-role of oppressed women who are treated as mere â€Å"dolls† played by men. Nora Helmer, the main character, strives to be the perfect wife that is set forth by the society she lives in. She is trapped in the â€Å"dollhouse† which is her actual home. Torvald, her husband, has made a wonderful life for his doll wife and their children. Nora does love Torvald, but it is only because that is what she is expected to do. Nora obeys her husbands by saying, â€Å"Yes, whatever you say, Torvald â€Å"(Ibsen 209), when he asks her to do something. She does not realize her love for Torvald was forced upon her by what society expects of her. Her friends and family treat her as if she is a sheltered animal with no idea what is going on in the outside world. Nora eventually discovers her role as a house wife was forced upon her and is desperate to get out at any cost. Once Nora begins to think her escape will create a better life, there isShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Doll s House As A Feminist Play985 Words   |  4 PagesDoll’s House as a feminist Play Is A Doll s House a feminist play? Ibsen disputes the notion that his play is female-centered claiming that it was more of liberation, which is presented, in a more general, human sense. However, it takes reading the book to decide whether his assertions are true reflection of this. The emotional and psychological impact on the play to the readers can is that of sympathy for women in the story. The story’s major theme is the plight of the woman. The story furtherRead MoreA Doll House : A Play From Different Perspectives1557 Words   |  7 PagesSean Walsh Literary Perspectives Research Essay A Doll House: A Play from Different Perspectives When A Doll House was first produced Ibsen successfully shocked and angered many who went to go see it. However if you google A Doll House today you’ll find many article’s praising it for its feminist themes. When looking at reviews for A Doll House after its first production I find no mention of feminism but rather many called it untrue and one even called the third act â€Å"it’s Achilles heel†(AvisRead MoreCritical Analysis of a Doll House1250 Words   |  5 PagesA Critical Analysis of A Doll House By Henrik Ibsen Henrik Ibsen s background provided him the insight to write the play A Doll House. In Britannica Biographies, Ibsen s father lost his business and the family s financial stability when Ibsen was a young child. Because of the family s financial misfortunes, at the age of 15, Ibsen was forced to leave home and venture out on his own. He supported himself meagerly as an apothecary s apprentice and studied at night to prepare for universityRead MoreAnalysis Of Nora Helmer s A Doll s House 841 Words   |  4 PagesBrennan1 John.Brennan Lisa Wall English Composition II 29 March 2015 Knowing about Nora Helmer From the beginning of A Doll’s House play, Nora Helmer appears to a obedient wife. She doesn t seem to mind when her husband, Torvald, calls her his little squirrel, his little lark, and a featherhead, (1.5-1.16).And more than that, she seems to enjoy and even play into it. She shows also a generous behavior, by giving a good tip to the porter and buying a lot of Christmas presents. TheRead MoreAnalysis Of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll House 1823 Words   |  8 PagesA Doll House is a play that was written by Henrik Ibsen in 1879. Nora Helmer is a wife and mother who secretly loaned money to save her husband’s, Torvald, life. Torvald views and treats Nora has a doll and she goes along with it. As conflict comes and goes Nora decides that her current life is not what she wants for herself. She no longer wants to be anyone’s â€Å"doll† and decides to leave her family in search of independence. This play was controversial during the time it was written becaus eRead MoreA Dolls House, Drama Analysis, Realism and Naturalism1235 Words   |  5 PagesA Dolls House, Drama Analysis, Realism and Naturalism Topic B: Character Nora Helmer frolics about in the first act, behaves desperately in the second, and gains a stark sense of reality during the finale of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Ibsen was one of a few pioneers of the new theatrical movement of realism, and accordingly he is often called the father of modern drama. The character of Nora lives in a dream world, a childlike fantasy, where everything is perfect, and everything makes senseRead MoreGender Stereotypes In The Media1207 Words   |  5 PagesBandura and Rotter (1977) suggest that gender roles are reached through watching models of the same sex. This can be seen through the Disney Princess movies. One example is in the movie Cinderella. Cinderella is a poor girl who works cleaning the house where she is not appreciated. Her problems seem to disappear when she falls in love with a rich and handsome prince. This shows how gender stereotypes can be learned and influence the child’s development of gender stereotypes. This movie gives youngRead MoreHedda Gabler by Ibsen977 Words   |  4 PagesCritical Analysis of Ibsen#8217;s Hedda Gabler A spider becomes caught in it#8217;s own web. This is an example of an attempted manipulation that went awry. Hedda Gabler, by Henrik Ibsen, is a work about a woman who manipulates the fates of others in order to fulfill her own desires. The title character is a woman who has recently returned from a six month #8220;honeymoon#8221; with her groom, Tesman, a man whom she does not love. She yearns for freedom, but she feels as if she cannotRead MoreAnalysis Of The Bluest Eye1555 Words   |  7 Pagesstarted her writing career in 1970 and started with her first book of The Bluest Eye. The Bluest eye was published in New York, in 1970 and was set in Morrison’s hometown in the time period of the Great Depression. This book takes place in the late 1940’s and is about a young African American girl by the name of Pecola Breedlove who desires the physical elements of a white girl such as blue eyes. She also goes through other difficulties of being bullied because of the wa y she looks and also sexualy assualtedRead MoreA Doll House by Henrik Ibsen7379 Words   |  30 PagesMa. Jennifer S. Yap Dr. Sherwin Perlas World Literature January 14, 2012 A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen Translated by Rolf Fjelde I. Introduction During the late nineteenth century, women were enslaved in their gender roles and certain restrictions were enforced on them by a male dominant culture. Every woman was raised believing that they had neither self-control nor self-government but that they must yield to the control of a stronger gender. John Stuart Mill wrote in his essay, â€Å"The Subjection

Is Montresor An Unreliable Narrator Essay - 940 Words

Edgar Allan Poe’s short story â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† is told through the eyes of a wine enthusiast, called Montresor. The author chooses to write the story through Montresor’s point of view, because it makes the reader really think, and shows them how a murderer thinks. It also adds suspense, leading up to the immolation of Fortunato. In the story Montresor talks about how he is in a toxic friendship, with a man named Fortunato. Montresor apparently suffered many injuries due to Fortunato, but when Fortunato insults him, Montresor can not tolerate it any more. He swears revenge; however, he takes it to the next level. Throughout the story, information is exposed about Montresors personality. He paints Fortunato out to be a terrible†¦show more content†¦He walls up his former friend and leaves him to die with little to no remorse, hinting he is probably not entirely sane. Montresor gives no mercy to those who make him angry nor does he feel remors e for his wrongdoings against others. Montresor is willing to kill some just upon one insult, although he is mad, he knows what to do to make his plans right so no one witnesses or even notice him doing it. The readers can pick up on Montresor’s crazy and vengeful, yet cunning, character from the feelings Montresor expresses on revenge. He is clever as he executes his plan to annihilate Fortunato. Montresor treats revenge very seriously. Montresor says when he plans to get revenge he has to follow through, it is never just a threat. He feels so strongly towards revenge and so insecure that when he says something he feels he has to do it; otherwise, others will think he just issues empty threats. Although he does not want to get caught, he says the victim needs to know who is getting the revenge. It should not be small it should be planned well. â€Å"I must not only punish, but punish with impunity† (87). Throughout the whole time leading up to Fortunatos immolation, Montresor says he must make sure Fortunato does not doubt his goodness. Montresor deceives Fortunato by smiling at him and continuing to act the same, all friendly like nothing happened. Montresor takes revenge so seriously, thatShow MoreRelatedâ€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† Essay1543 Words   |  7 Pagesthe storyline as he states in his essay â€Å"The Philosophy of Composition.† His use of imagery and symbolism putting pictures in our minds leaving us in suspense; the unreliable narrator, clearly in an effort to substantiate his sanity is definite verification of his insanity. Poe’s immense use of never ending dramatic irony grabs the reader from beginning to end in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado.† I will begin with a short summary. The story is told by Montresor, the protagonist in the story.

The Vampire Diaries The Struggle Chapter Ten Free Essays

The bell rang. There was no time to go back to the cafeteria and tell Bonnie and Meredith. Elena set off for her next class, past the averted faces and hostile eyes that were becoming all too familiar these days. We will write a custom essay sample on The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Ten or any similar topic only for you Order Now It was hard, in history class, not to stare at Caroline, not to let Caroline know she knew. Alaric asked about Matt and Stefan being absent for the second day in a row, and Elena shrugged, feeling exposed and on display. She didn’t trust this man with the boyish smile and the hazel eyes and the thirst for knowledge about Mr. Tanner’s death. And Bonnie, who simply gazed at Alaric soulfully, was no help at all. After class she caught a scrap of Sue Carson’s conversation. â€Å"†¦ he’s on vacation from college – I forget exactly where†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena had had enough of discreet silence. She spun around and spoke directly to Sue and the girl Sue was talking to, bursting uninvited into their discussion. â€Å"If I were you,† she said to Sue, â€Å"I would keep away from Damon. I mean that.† There was startled, embarrassed laughter. Sue was one of the few people at school who hadn’t shunned Elena, and now she was looking as if she wished she had. â€Å"You mean,† said the other girl hesitantly, â€Å"because he’s yours, too? Or – â€Å" Elena’s own laughter was harsh. â€Å"I mean because he’sdangerous ,† she said. â€Å"And I’m not joking.† They just looked at her. Elena saved them the further embarrassment of having to reply or to get tactfully groupies and headed for Meredith’s locker. â€Å"Where are we going? I thought we were going to talk to Caroline.† â€Å"Not anymore,† Elena said. â€Å"Wait until we get home. Then I’ll tell you why.† â€Å"I can’t believe it,† said Bonnie an hour later. â€Å"I mean, I believe it, but I can’tbelieve it. Not even of Caroline.† â€Å"It’s Tyler,† Elena said. â€Å"He’s the one with the big plans. So much for men not being interested in diaries.† â€Å"Actually, we should thank him,† said Meredith. â€Å"Because of him at least we have until Founders’ Day to do something about it.Why did you say it was supposed to be on Founders’ Day, Elena?† â€Å"Tyler has something against the Fells.† â€Å"But they’re all dead,† said Bonnie. â€Å"Well, that doesn’t seem to matter to Tyler. I remember him talking about it in the graveyard, too, when we were looking at their tomb. He thinks they stole his ancestors’ rightful place as the town’s founders or something.† â€Å"Elena,† Meredith said seriously, â€Å"is there anything else in the diary that could hurt Stefan? Besides the thing about the old man, I mean.† â€Å"Isn’t that enough?† With those steady, dark eyes on her, Elena felt discomfort flutter between her ribs. What was Meredith asking? â€Å"Enough to get Stefan run out of town like they said,† agreed Bonnie. â€Å"Enough that we have to get the diary back from Caroline,† Elena said. â€Å"The only question is, how?† â€Å"Caroline said she had it hidden somewhere safe. That probably means her house.† Meredith chewed her lip thoughtfully. â€Å"She’s got just the one brother in eighth grade, right? And her mom doesn’t work, but she goes shopping in Roanoke a lot. Do they still have a maid?† â€Å"Why?† said Bonnie. â€Å"What difference does it make?† â€Å"Well, we don’t want anybody walking in while we’re burglarizing the house.† â€Å"While we’rewhat ?† Bonnie’s voice rose to a squeak. â€Å"You can’t be serious!† â€Å"What are we supposed to do, just sit back and wait until Founders’ Day, and let her read Elena’s diary in front of the town?She stole it from your house. We’ve just got to steal it back,† Meredith said, maddeningly calm. â€Å"We’ll get caught. We’ll get expelled from school – if we don’t end up going to jail.† Bonnie turned to Elena in appeal. â€Å"Tell her, Elena.† Besides, it seemed such a†¦ aviolation , to go into someone’s house when they were not there, to search their possessions. She would hate it if someone did that to her. But, of course, someone had. Caroline had violated Bonnie’s house, and right now had Elena’s most private possession in her hands. â€Å"Let’s do it,† Elena said quietly. â€Å"But let’s be careful.† â€Å"Can’t we talk about this?† said Bonnie weakly, looking from Meredith’s determined face to Elena’s. â€Å"There’s nothing to talk about. You’re coming,† Meredith told her. â€Å"You promised,† she added, as Bonnie took a breath to object afresh. And she held up her index finger. â€Å"The blood oath was only to help Elenaget Stefan!† Bonnie cried. â€Å"Think again,† said Meredith. â€Å"You swore you would do whatever Elena asked in relation to Stefan. There wasn’t anything about a time limit or about ‘only until Elena gets him.’ â€Å" Bonnie’s mouth dropped open. She looked at Elena, who was almost laughing in spite of herself. â€Å"It’s true,† Elena said solemnly. â€Å"And you said it yourself: ‘Swearing with blood means you have to stick to your oath no matter what happens.’ â€Å" Bonnie shut her mouth and thrust her chin out. â€Å"Right,† she said grimly. â€Å"Now I’m stuck for the rest of my life doing whatever Elena wants me to do about Stefan. Wonderful.† â€Å"This is the last thing I’ll ever ask,† Elena said. â€Å"And I promise that. I swear – â€Å" â€Å"Don’t!† said Meredith, suddenly serious. â€Å"Don’t, Elena. You might be sorry later.† â€Å"Now you’re taking up prophecy, too?† Elena said. And then she asked, â€Å"So how are we going to get hold of Caroline’s house key for an hour or so?† November9,Saturday Dear Diary, I’m sorry it’s been so long. Lately I’ve been too busy or too depressed – or both – to write you. Besides, with everything that’s happened I’m almost afraid to keep a diary at all anymore. But I need someone to turn to, because right now there’s not a single human being, not a single person on earth, that I’m not keeping something from. Bonnie and Meredith can’t know the truth about Stefan. Stefan can’t know the truth about Damon. Aunt Judith can’t know about anything. Bonnie and Meredith know about Caroline and the diary; Stefan doesn’t.Stefan knows about the vervain I use every day now, Bonnie and Meredith don’t. Even My life is full of lies right now, and I need someoneto be completely honest with. I’m going to hide this diary under the loose floorboard in the closet, so that no one will find it even if I drop dead and they clean out my room. Maybe one of Margaret’s grandchildren will be playing in there someday, and will pry up the board and pull it out, but until then, nobody. This diary is my last secret. I don’t know why I’m thinking about death and dying. That’s Bonnie’s craze; she’s the one who thinks it would be so romantic. I know what it’s really like; there was nothing romantic about it when Mom and Dad died. Just the worst feelings in the world. I want to live for a good long time, marry Stefan, and be happy. And there’s no reason why I can’t, once all these problems are behind us. Except that there are times when I get scared and I don’t believe that. And there are little things that shouldn’t matter, but they bother me. Like why Stefan still wears Catherine’s ring around his neck, even though I know he loves me. Like why he’s never said he loves me, even though I know it’s true. It doesn’t matter. Everything will work out. It has to work out. And then we’ll be together and be happy. There’s no reason why we can’t. There’s no reason why we can’t. There’s no reason. Elena stopped writing, trying to keep the letters on the page in focus. But they only blurred further, and she shut the book before a betraying teardrop could fall on the ink. Then she went over to the closet, pried up the loose board with a nail file, and put the diary there. She had the nail file in her pocket a week later as the three of them, she and Bonnie and Meredith, stood outside Caroline’s back door. â€Å"Hurry up,† hissed Bonnie in agony, looking around the yard as if she expected something to jump out at them. â€Å"Come on, Meredith!† â€Å"There,† said Meredith, as the key finally went the right way into the dead bolt lock and the doorknob yielded to her turning fingers. â€Å"We’re in.† â€Å"Are you surethey’re not in? Elena, what if they come back early? Why couldn’t we do this in the daytime, at least?† â€Å"Bonnie, will you getinside ? We’ve been through all this. The maid’s always here in the daytime. And they won’t be back early tonight unless somebody gets sick at Chez Louis. Now, come on!† said Elena. â€Å"Nobody would dare to get sick at Mr. Forbes’s birthday dinner,† Meredith said comfortingly to Bonnie as the smaller girl stepped in. â€Å"We’re safe.† â€Å"If they’ve got enough money to go to expensive restaurants, you’d think they could afford to leave a few lights on,† said Bonnie, refusing to be comforted. Privately, Elena agreed with this. It was strange and disconcerting to be wandering through someone else’s house in the dark, and her heart pounded chokingly as they went up the stairs. Her palm, clutching â€Å"It’s got to be in her bedroom,† she said. Caroline’s window faced the street, which meant they had to be even more careful not to show a light there. Elena swung the tiny beam of the flashlight around with a feeling of dismay. It was one thing to plan to search someone’s room, to picture efficiently and methodically going through drawers. It was another thing actually to be standing here, surrounded by what seemed like thousands of places to hide something, and feeling afraid to touch anything in case Caroline noticed it had been disturbed. The other two girls were also standing still. â€Å"Maybe we should just go home,† Bonnie said quietly. And Meredith did not contradict her. â€Å"We have to try. At least try,† said Elena, hearing how tinny and hollow her voice sounded. She eased open a drawer on the highboy and shone the light onto dainty piles of lacy underwear. A moment’s poking through them assured her there was nothing like a book there. She straightened the piles and shut the drawer again. Then she let out her breath. â€Å"It’s not that hard,† she said. â€Å"What we need to do is divide up the room and then searcheverything in our section, every drawer, every piece of furniture, every object big enough to hide a diary in.† She assigned herself the closet, and the first thing she did was prod at the floorboards with her nail file. But Caroline’s boards all seemed to be secure and the walls of the closet sounded solid. Rummaging through Caroline’s clothes she found several things she’d lent the other girl last year. She was tempted to take them back, but of course she couldn’t. A search of Caroline’s shoes and purses revealed nothing, even when she dragged a chair over so that she could investigate the top shelf of the closet thoroughly. Meredith was sitting on the floor examining a pile of stuffed animals that had been relegated to a chest with other childish mementos. She ran her long sensitive fingers over each, checking for slits in the material. When she reached a fluffy poodle, she paused. â€Å"I gave this to her,† she whispered. â€Å"I think for her tenth birthday. I thought she’d thrown it away.† Elena couldn’t see her eyes; Meredith’s own flashlight was turned on the poodle. But she knew how Meredith was feeling. â€Å"I tried to make up with her,† she said softly. â€Å"I did, Meredith, at the Haunted House. But she as good as told me she would never forgive me for taking Stefan from her. I wish things could be different, but she won’t let them be.† â€Å"So now it’s war.† â€Å"So now it’s war,† said Elena, flat and final. She watched as Meredith put the poodle aside and picked up the next animal. Then she turned back to her own search. But she had no better luck with the dresser than she had with the closet. And with every moment that passed she felt more uneasy, more certain that they were about to hear a car pulling into the Forbes’ driveway. â€Å"I’ve got it. Elena, it’s a diary!† Relief swooped through Elena then, and she felt like a crumpled piece of paper being straightened and smoothed. She could move again. Breathing was wonderful. She’d known, she’d known all along that nothingreally terrible could happen to Stefan. Life couldn’t be that cruel, not to Elena Gilbert. They were all safe now. But Meredith’s voice was puzzled. â€Å"It’s a diary. But it’s green, not blue. It’s the wrong one.† â€Å"What?† Elena snatched the little book, shining her light on it, trying to make the emerald green of the cover change into sapphire blue. It didn’t work. This diary was almost exactly like hers, but it wasn’t hers. â€Å"It’s Caroline’s,† she said stupidly, still not wanting to believe it. Bonnie and Meredith crowded close. They all looked at the closed book, and then at one another. â€Å"There might be clues,† said Elena slowly. â€Å"It’s only fair,† agreed Meredith. But it was Bonnie who actually took the diary and opened it. Elena peered over her shoulder at Caroline’s spiky back-slanted writing, so different from the block letters of the purple notes. At first her eyes wouldn’t focus, but then a name leapt out at her.Elena. â€Å"Wait, what’s that?† Bonnie, who was the only one actually in a position to read more than one or two words, was silent a moment, her lips moving. Then she snorted. â€Å"Listen to this,† she said, and read: † ‘Elena’s the most selfish person I’ve ever known. Everyone thinks she’s so together, but it’s really just coldness. It’s sickening the way people suck up to her, never realizing that she doesn’t give a damn about anyone or anything except Elena.’ â€Å" â€Å"Carolinesays that? She should talk!† But Elena could feel heat in her face. It was, practically, what Matt had said about her when she was after Stefan. â€Å"Go on, there’s more,† said Meredith, poking at Bonnie, who continued in an offended voice. † ‘Bonnie’s almost as bad these days, always trying to make herself important. The newest thing is pretending she’s psychic so people will pay attention to her. If she wasreally psychic she’d figure out that Elena is just using her. There was a heavy pause, and then Elena said, â€Å"Is that all?† â€Å"No, there’s a bit about Meredith. ‘Meredith doesn’t do anything to stop it. In fact, Meredith doesn’tdo anything; she just watches. It’s as if she can’t act; she can onlyreact to things. Besides, I’ve heard my parents talking about her family – no wonder she never mentions them.’ What’s that supposed to mean?† â€Å"Try around October eighteenth. That was when it was stolen,† said Elena, putting her questions aside. She’d ask Meredith about it later. There was no entry for October eighteenth or the weekend after; in fact, there were only a few entries for the following weeks. None of them mentioned the diary. â€Å"Well, that’s it then,† said Meredith, sitting back. â€Å"This book is useless. Unless we want to blackmailher with it. You know, like we won’t show hers if she won’t show yours.† It was a tempting idea, but Bonnie spotted the flaw. â€Å"There’s nothing bad about Caroline in here; it’s all just complaints about other people. Mostly us. I’ll bet Caroline wouldlove to have it read out loud in front of the whole school. It’d make her day.† â€Å"So what do we do with it?† â€Å"Put it back,† said Elena tiredly. She swung her light around the room, which seemed to her eyes to be filled with subtle differences from when they’d come in. â€Å"We’ll just have to keep on pretending we don’t know she has my diary, and hope for another chance.† â€Å"All right,† said Bonnie, but she went on thumbing through the little book, occasionally giving vent to an indignant snort or hiss. â€Å"Will you listen to this!† she exclaimed. â€Å"There isn’t time,† Elena said. She would have said something else, but at that moment Meredith spoke, her tone commanding everyone’s immediate attention. â€Å"A car.† It took only a second to ascertain that the vehicle was pulling up into the Forbes’ driveway. Bonnie’s eyes and mouth were wide and round and she seemed to be paralyzed, kneeling by the bed. â€Å"Go! Go on,† said Elena, snatching the di-ary from her. â€Å"Turn the flashlights off and get out the back door.† They were already moving, Meredith urging Bonnie forward. Elena dropped to her knees and lifted the bedspread, pulling up at Caroline’s mattress. With her other hand she pushed the diary forward, wedging it between the mattress and the dust ruffle. The thinly covered box springs bit into her arm from below, but even worse was the weight of the queen-size mattress bearing down from above. She gave the book a few more nudges with her fingertips and then pulled her arm out, tugging the bedspread back in place. She gave one wild glance back at the room as she left; there was no time to fix anything more now. As she moved swiftly and silently toward the stairs, she heard a key in the front door. What followed was a sort of dreadful game of tag. Elena knew they were not deliberately chasing her, but the Forbes family seemed determined to corner her in their house. She turned back the way she had come as voices and lights materialized in the hall as they headed up the stairs. She fled from them into the last doorway down the hall, and they seemed to follow. They moved across the landing; they were right outside the master bedroom. She turned toward the adjoining bathroom, but then saw lights spring to life She was trapped. At any moment Caroline’s parents might come in. She saw the french windows leading to a balcony and made her decision in that same instant. Outside, the air was cool, and her panting breath showed faintly. Yellow light burst forth from the room beside her, and she huddled even farther to the left, keeping out of its path. Then, the sound she had been dreading came with terrible clarity: the snick of a door handle, followed by a billowing of curtains inward as the french windows opened. She looked around frantically. It was too far to jump to the ground, and there was nothing to grab hold of to climb down. That left only the roof, but there was nothing to climb up, either. Still, some instinct made her try, and she was on the balcony railing and groping for a handhold above even as a shadow appeared on the filmy curtains. A hand parted them, a figure began to emerge, and then Elena felt something clasping her own hand, locking on her wrist and hauling her upwards. Automatically, she boosted with her feet and felt herself scrambling onto the shingled roof. Trying to calm her ragged breath, she looked over gratefully to see who her rescuer was – and froze. How to cite The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Ten, Essay examples

Tattered Paper, Over-Used Pens, and a Cramped Right Hand free essay sample

My life is the outcome of tattered paper, over-used pens, and a cramped right hand. I sit on my bed writing about my cousins playing a half court of basketball with two gallons of warm water on the side in the hot, humid, hellish heat. There was a time when I would join them, but that was before we all â€Å"grew up†. We played games of â€Å"tag†; â€Å"throw up, tackle†, our version of football free-for-all; â€Å"fifty†, our basketball free-for-all; and kickball until our mothers called us in because it was too late in the night. After a while, everything gradually transitioned from friendly game play to competitive sports—sports I either didn’t understand or did not like. The more they played sports, the more I stayed in my house and read. I rarely came outside. I have read books from horror to modern day fantasy and everything in between. Books gave me a place where I could escape. We will write a custom essay sample on Tattered Paper, Over-Used Pens, and a Cramped Right Hand or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I could always go to a place where everything would work out for the better when real life circumstances were not looking too attractive. At times, I wished that books could come true—preferably for my life. I envied how characters got their desired life that their author created; I wanted a life I could create. However, in order to create a life, one has to know how to create. I began to pay more attention in English class, took Journalism and Creative Writing classes to pick up on writing structures and styles, and demonstrated my gained knowledge for anyone who wanted to see. I soon wrote the first chapter of my second life. From that first chapter came the second, then the third, and so on until I had completed my new life. Yes, it had a lot of kinks and errors throughout, but the overall work was complete. Mark Twain once wrote that â€Å"there is little difference between a man who won’t read and a man who can’t read.† As I grow older, I think more and more young adults who do not like reading and do not understand the mystic nature of writing, do not fully appreciate the English language. I, on the other hand, while still confused about some English literature, am still fascinated by the fact that our language is comprised of so many other languages and cultures. I try to keep a transcendentalist outlook on life—looking forward to the mixture of oranges, reds, pinks, and yellows each morning. I know that whatever direction my life goes, it will be the outcome of tattered paper, over-used pens, and a cramped right hand.